Chris Eden
Chris Eden’s passion for food and desire to be a chef started at the tender age of 11 years when he cooked his first lasagne with his mum.
He enrolled at the St Austell Catering College at 17 years and there was no going back. He joined ‘Pennypots’, the first Michelin Star restaurant in Cornwall as a Commis Chef, under Kevin Viner who then encouraged him to gain some experience in London. Chris joined ‘The Lanesborough’ under Paul Gayler as a Commis; graduating to Senior Chef de Partie at ‘The Orrery’ and ‘The Square’ under the guidance of Chris Galvin and Phil Howard respectively, who both had a huge influence on him. London, for Chris, was always going to be a temporary period in his life as his heart was always in Cornwall with his family.
He returned to Cornwall and joined Driftwood in Portscatho as Head Chef in September 2007; achieving 3 AA Rosettes and his first Michelin Star in 2012, becoming the first Cornish born chef to hold a star in their home county. A fourth AA rosette followed in 2018.
In September 2019, Chris moved to Devon to take up the role of Head Chef at Gidleigh Park.
Chris’ passion for great produce is infectious, always handled with exceptional skill and care. The seasonal bounty from the hotel’s kitchen garden informs Chris’ menus and his dishes are regularly changing to reflect the seasonality and availability of ingredients. Undeniably refined with an exacting technique, Chris is also renowned for his honest, unfussy approach to cooking. His menus are contemporary with a nod to tradition, supporting local Devonshire farmers and producers to ensure that only the finest quality ingredients make it on to the plate.
